– West Indies, England lock horns in final Test from today
By Brandon Corlette
There have been two Test matches, and there have been two drawn encounters. That is the story so far between West Indies and England in the Apex Test series. The final Test is set to bowl off on today, Thursday March 24, in Grenada, and both teams will have all to play for, vying to clinch that Richards-Botham Trophy.
Jason Holder will be aiming to bounce back after his Kensington failure
England are at the bottom of the World Test Championship table, with the Windies directly above them as both sides strive to transform their fortunes in the longest format. For England, this has been “operation reset”, after a poor Ashes campaign, and for West Indies, this has been “continue to build”.
West Indies Head Coach Phil Simmons is hoping to see more good starts from the opening pair in this deciding Test. “That is important for us as a team: to be able to get those good starts and giving the batsmen a bit of a leeway a bit down the order. I would love for us to get early wickets like we did in the first match in Antigua,” Simmons has said.
Captain Brathwaite is fresh from a marathon effort
With the surface at Grenada having some grass, Simmons is uncertain what to expect, since the last time a Test match was played at this venue was in 2015.
Simmons has also clarified the reason for Hosein’s inclusion in the West Indies Test set-up. He noted that there is no need for two spinners on the Grenada pitch.
“Akeal is here just like we had Oshane and Obed. When we see we need to do a bit of extra work with some players, we tend to invite them to be around the camp and do the work with the team. Akeal is here because we had a little bit of extra work to do with him, so that is why he is here. He is not added to the squad,” Simmons said at a press conference on the eve of the final Test in Grenada.
Root has been in top form
The Head Coach has also been delighted to see Kraigg Brathwaite and Jermaine Blackwood scoring centuries in the same innings, something that has been rare.
England will again be without seamer Ollie Robinson, as he continues to struggle with fitness issues. The record remains intact, as England have not won a Test series in the Caribbean for 18 years, but have undoubtedly made strides during this tour with an inexperienced bowling attack.
Kraigg Brathwaite has been the Windies’ hero at Kensington Oval, where he showed incredible application and skill in both innings. After batting for 710 minutes for his 160 in the first innings, he scored an unbeaten 56 on the last day in Bridgetown to keep the series level. His efforts have seen saw him rise in the ICC Test rankings by 16 spots to number 27.
After the draw in Barbados, Brathwaite has called for a ‘juicier’ wicket, something the pacers can work with. Brathwaite has scored the most runs in this series: 304 at an average of 101.33. His opposite number, Joe Root, has also been impressive, racking up 284 – including two centuries – at an average of 71.
According to reports, Craig Overton is set to return to the Test side. The West Indies have retained the same squad from both Tests, and although a few players have failed, Coach Simmons has said the team has done well overall in the series.
